Education Jihad spreading?

T P VENU I hyderabad

The controversy surrounding a Hyderabad school, Success School in Saidabad to be precise where a Hindu student's parents alleged that the Class II child was asked to copy the Kalma and learn “Surah Al-Fatiha” as homework has once again ignited a familiar debate. Similar controversies in Kanpur and the Assam government's crackdown on a handful of madrassas accused of links with extremist networks have further intensified public discourse.

These incidents point to a disturbing trend of religious influence entering educational spaces. Others argue that isolated cases are being amplified to paint an entire community and education system with the same brush.

Schools are among the most influential institutions in shaping young minds. Any attempt to introduce religious instruction to children belonging to another faith, particularly without parental consent, is viewed as a violation of trust.  The school later described it as a mistake and dismissed the teacher involved. Whether accidental or deliberate, the episode highlighted how sensitive such matters have become.

A similar controversy surfaced in Kanpur in 2022 when parents objected to students allegedly being made to recite the Kalma during the morning assembly. The school maintained that it followed a tradition of multi-faith prayers intended to promote communal harmony and subsequently discontinued the Islamic prayer following objections. Even though the matter was resolved administratively, it reinforced concerns among sections of society that religious practices in schools must always remain voluntary and transparent.

Supporters of the "Education Jihad" argument also point to developments in Assam. Beginning in 2022, the state government acted against a small number of private madrassas after police alleged links between certain individuals associated with these institutions and extremist organisations such as Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). Several clerics were arrested, and some madrassas were demolished, with the government citing illegal construction and national security concerns.

The Assam government had already, in 2020, converted more than 600 government-run madrassas into regular schools, arguing that a secular state should not finance religious education. Notably, the policy also ended state funding for government-run Sanskrit tols, with the government maintaining that public funds should not support religious instruction of any faith.

For those concerned about ideological influence in educational institutions, these developments appear interconnected. They argue that vigilance is essential because schools shape values as much as academic knowledge. They contend that parents have an unquestionable right to determine the religious upbringing of their children and that educational institutions must not cross that boundary.

However, an equally important counterargument deserves attention.

India has more than 15 lakh schools educating over 25 crore students across diverse social, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Against this backdrop, the number of verified cases involving allegations of compulsory religious instruction remains relatively small. Many claims circulating on social media have either not been substantiated or have involved misunderstandings, comparative religion lessons or voluntary multi-faith activities.

The Assam cases, for instance, involved allegations against specific individuals and institutions, not the entire madrassa system. Thousands of private madrassas continue to function across India without facing action. Even the Assam government has consistently maintained that its measures targeted alleged terror links, illegal construction and regulatory violations rather than Islamic education itself.

Similarly, the Hyderabad school dismissed the concerned teacher and described the assignment as an error rather than institutional policy. Whether one accepts that explanation or not, it illustrates why individual incidents require careful investigation before broader conclusions are drawn.

The Constitution of India offers a useful framework for approaching these controversies. Article 28 limits religious instruction in wholly state-funded educational institutions while allowing certain exceptions for institutions established under specific trusts or managed by religious minorities. Equally important are the constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience and the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.

The guiding principle should therefore be neither suspicion nor complacency but constitutional neutrality.

Schools should ensure that participation in any religious activity is voluntary wherever legally permissible. Parents should be informed clearly about school practices. Comparative religion, if taught, should remain academic rather than devotional. Complaints should be investigated promptly, fairly and transparently, without either dismissing parental concerns or presuming institutional guilt.

The larger challenge before India is preserving education as a space for learning rather than ideological contestation. Whether the influence comes from religious majoritarianism, religious proselytisation, political indoctrination or extremist ideology of any kind, schools must remain places where critical thinking, constitutional values and mutual respect are nurtured.

At present, the publicly verified evidence demonstrates that controversies have occurred and that authorities have acted in specific instances. It does not, by itself, establish a nationwide, centrally coordinated campaign.

In Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Delhi there have been periodic controversies over morning assemblies featuring Hindu prayers, Christian prayers, or Islamic verses, particularly in aided or minority-run institutions. Most were resolved administratively without court findings that unlawful religious coercion had occurred.

What these incidents unquestionably reveal is the need for greater transparency, stronger oversight, adherence to constitutional principles and zero tolerance for any attempt—by any individual or institution—to impose religious beliefs on students against their or their parents' wishes. In a country as religiously diverse as India, education must unite through knowledge, not divide through suspicion.

Assam Case

The Assam government abolished state-funded madrassa education by converting over 600 government-run madrassas into general schools.

It simultaneously ended state funding for government-run Sanskrit tols (traditional Sanskrit schools), saying the same principle applied.

The government clarified that privately run madrassas could continue to function, subject to applicable regulations.

FIR lodged 

Hyderabad police have registered an FIR against the teacher and others of the school for allegedly assigning Islamic religious practices as homework to a six-year-old Hindu student. The case was filed under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act following a complaint by the child's aunt. The school dismissed the teacher, calling the assignment a violation of its policy. The incident sparked protests from the BJP and VHP. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded strict action, while VHP leaders sought cancellation of the school's recognition.